BARBARA J. RISMAN(1998)

Socialization Into Gender

Gender Socialization

Children are socialized to behave in gender-defined roles

Living in a gendered and sexist society differently prepares boys and girls for adulthood. Boys are socialized to work in teams and compete. Girls are socialized to value nurturing.

Gender Socialization

Socialization happens in children’s play and in their families Boys’ games are more likely to be outside, involve

teams, and be age-integrated. Girls are more likely to play make-believe games with

one or two others, and to quit the game instead of working through conflict.

Parents participate in gender-typing by rewarding gender-typical play and punishing gender-atypical play.

JEONGMEE YOON

The Pink and Blue Project

Children in Fair Families

More families are moving toward shared parenting and more liberal gender socialization for children.

Risman examines how children in egalitarian families fare in a gendered society.

Egalitarian (Fair) Families Gender does not dictate who does what or who has

more power Parents share household responsibilities Parents share child care responsibilities

The Interviews

Risman interviewed 21 children from egalitarian families.

Three formats 4- to 6-year-olds: interview questions resembling

stories 7- to 10-year-olds: interview questions, poem writing,

free-play 11-year-olds an up: open-ended and written questions

Research Question: How do these children negotiate gender, given their atypical parents?

Ideology

16 of the 21 children entirely adopted their parents’ egalitarian views of gender

Most of the children were true believers in the capabilities of men and women to perform the same jobs and family roles.

Ideology – Interview Quotes

“I told you I think anybody can do these jobs…I think that saying just men or women could do these jobs isn’t being equal.” – 9-year-old boy

“I don’t think that it is the least bit fair that in most places males have the main power. I think that women play an important part and should be free to do what they want to do.” – 9-year-old girl

“It’s probably easier being a guy. At least it is now because of stereotypes and prejudices and everything.” - 15-year-old boy

Experiences

When their ideology contradicts their experiences as boys and girls, life wins hands down.

When family experiences collided with peer experiences, the family influences were dwarfed.

The children know that men and women are equal; it is boys and girls that are totally different.

None of the 4- to 6-year-olds have begun to believe that boys and girls are different; this is not true for most children in mainstream families

Experiences - Poem

If I were a girl I’d have to attract a guywear makeup; sometimes.

Wear the latest style of clothes and try to belikeable.

I probably wouldn’t play any physical sports like football or soccer.

I don’t think I would enjoy myself around menin fear of rejection

or under the pressure of attracting them. - 8-year-old boy

Identity

“All-girl” girls and “All-boy” boys Only 6 of the children have identities that fit their

stereotyped notions about childhood gender.

Androgynous preferences 15 children cross gender lines in interests and

interpersonal style. All the girls are more feminine than masculine and all

the boys are more masculine than feminine.

Conclusion

Three themes resulted from the interviews and observation 1) The parents are very successful at transferring their

ideological values to their children 2) The children’s experiences at school have taught them

that boys and girls are not similar, nor do they think they should be.

3) Identities seem more dependant on experiences with peers than from ideology.

The children growing up in egalitarian families are happy, healthy, and well-adjusted.

Changing families alone does not allow children to escape gender socialization; effective social change requires collective action and alliances across families, schools, and friendship networks.

Any Comments or Questions?